Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 9, 1 September 1999 — Trustee retirement [ARTICLE]

Trustee retirement

Ka Wai Ola's new "What's OHA's board done lately?" is an interesting, well-designed update on board actions. However, its June listing is disturbing. Buried in the trust fund budget is a windfall for trustees. Besides approving OHA operating expenses, six trustees gave themselves the means for a retirement package that could seriously drain the trust of money. While trustee Keale is the sole beneficiary of the program at present, the " trust account" could burden the trust in excess of $300,000 a year, plus administrative costs, for current trustees alone. This is more than half of what the Hawaiian people received through the grants program this year, an alarmingly high ratio devoted not to the betterment of all Hawaiians but of a select few. I am at a loss to understand why those charged with a puhlie duty should continue to receive gains onee they are out of service. Laeking thorough analysis, a full review of long-term costs and a systematie, open process, this self-appoint-ed, hastily-drafted program eommits the Hawaiian people to a payoff they ean ill-afford, to another lucrative package at our expense. We deserve better from those elected to guard our resources. KēhaulaniLum Chicago